TV Without Commercials: Game of Thrones 4.4

The White Walkers first appearance of the season did not disappoint. With all of the excitement going on in Castle Black and their concerns with the Wildlings, it’s easy to forget that they have a common and much more terrifying enemy beyond the wall.

I’m pretty sure Jon Snow has taught me my new favorite word, and that word is mutineer. The mutineers themselves are downright nasty. As Edd said when he returned with Grenn from their encampment, Craster’s daughters never thought they would miss their dad. The former brothers of the Night’s Watch are constantly raping and beating Craster’s wives. The women all seemed to come to life in the incredibly creepy way they kept chanting “sacrifice to the gods” over and over again when the woman brought out the last of Craster’s sons. We finally know what the White Walkers do with the babies Craster has been leaving. They are turned into White Walkers, which makes sense, but who was the one doing the turning? He looked like any other White Walker but with nicer, necromancer looking, clothes, and is it safe to assume he is their leader? It also never occurred to me that this whole time we haven’t seen Ghost and, now I know why. The mutineers have been holding him in a cage, and now they also have Bran. I think it’s safe to assume that Jon and his brothers will be there in no time. Hopefully Meera isn’t raped before then.

Daenery’s was able to take down Meeren from the inside, using the slaves to fight for her before she even got a chance to set them free. Her payback on the masters was ruthless but easily justified. They should have known better than to rub the slaughter of children in her face. I was expecting her battle to take the city to be a little more dramatic but it was hard not to like what she did. I wish we could’ve seen more of her this episode or at least gotten some kind of idea what her plans are moving forward.

It is very fitting that this episode was titled “Oathkeeper” not only for the sword, but Jaime had more time on screen than any other character. We see him once again training with Bronn, and he seems to be improving, but their conversation was much more important than their training. Jaime has always been Tyrion’s savior, but this time everything is different. I suppose Tyrion’s trial could come to trial by combat right? Isn’t that how things work in this universe? I don’t think he would really want Jaime defending him anymore anyway. I love their conversations though, it has been way too long since we’ve seen the two of them speak. Jaime could tell right away that Tyrion had nothing to do with Joffrey’s murder but Cersei will never believe anything else. She is convinced that Tyrion and Sansa conspired together and since Tyrion is already locked up, she must have Sansa as well. She tells Jaime to bring her Sansa’s head so Jaime asks Brienne to find her, but not to kill her. I’m not really sure what he plans to do with Sansa if Brienne can find her but I think that for now, Jaime is done doing things for love.

I am pretty confident that Peter Baelish will make it completely impossible for Brienne to find even the slightest trace of Sansa. I am really looking forward to Brienne and Podrick traveling together, however. The two most awkward characters in the Game of Thrones universe have been paired together, it is bound to be interesting. Peter Baelish is taking Sansa to Lysa Arryn, her aunt, in the Vale, and more importantly we know who he conspired with. The Tyrells! It was Olenna Tyrell, and Peter Baelish who killed Joffrey and it was Olenna Tyrell who poisoned Joffrey! She tells Margery that she is completely certain it wasn’t Tyrion and then just incase we hadn’t put two and two together yet, she adjusts Margery’s necklace similarly to how she adjusted Sansa’s, moments before Joffrey’s death. I can only hope that all of this will come to light before or during Tyrion’s trial but that would be way too easy, and George R.R. Martin doesn’t do anything easy.